UK - Canada reaffirms strong relationship

(MENAFN- Caribbean News Global)

By Caribbean News Global

ENGLAND / CANADA – The prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau and the prime minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, met in London on March 7, 2022, and reaffirmed the strong relationship between Canada and the United Kingdom, rooted in deep historical ties and built on shared values.

Canada and the United Kingdom believe steadfastly in human rights and freedoms, democracy, the rule of law and the rules-based international order,” says 10 Downing Street.“We stand shoulder to shoulder in supporting Ukraine against Putin's tyranny and brutal aggression. With the rest of the world, we stand in awe of the valour, courage and tenacity of the Ukrainian people, their military forces, and their public officials. We reiterate our unwavering support to Ukraine in this time of need, and our resolute commitment to upholding Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and right to self-determination.”

Prime minister Johnson's office, said:“We have each provided military, economic and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and more is forthcoming. We will assist those who become refugees, fleeing Putin's cruel aggression against their country. We are reinforcing NATO as a defensive alliance in the region. We are working together and with countries around the world to ensure the perpetrators and abettors of this illegal invasion face the toughest personal and corporate sanctions ever implemented, trade sanctions, port and airport restrictions, financial penalties, and ultimately the full force of law in the International Criminal Court. Putin and his enablers should have nowhere to hide.”

Russia's attack on Ukraine is illustrative of the growing threat that malevolent actors – both state and non-state – pose to global peace and security, and the freedoms, democratic values, and shared laws that underpin the rules-based international order.

In light of the common challenges facing both our countries, and building on a longstanding tradition of close Canada-UK cooperation on security matters, Canada and the UK will be enhancing national security collaboration in key areas: countering state threats, emerging technology, and cyber challenges, continued a joint statement:

“We will strengthen our strategic cooperation on economic resilience, continuing our close engagement on critical minerals and investment security, and establishing an overarching UK-Canada initiative on critical supply chains to identify concrete shared action and coordinate approaches to risks and vulnerabilities, drawing on each country's strengths and experience to deliver solutions.

We will also strengthen our cooperation on disinformation and malign information operations from state actors. We will continue to use the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism for joint assessment and collective action, including ramping up our collective engagement with media, tech platforms and civil society to tackle Russia's unprecedented information war. We will collaborate in forums like the Media Freedom Coalition and Freedom Online Coalition to call out Russia's suppression of freedom of speech and independent media, and their false justifications for their barbaric actions.

We will support strategic communication capacity in Ukraine and help to build the admirable resilience of the Ukrainian people to Russian disinformation.

Closer ties between our two countries have never been as important as they are now – to stand up for democracy and build resilient, forward-looking, and green societies. We will strengthen bilateral cooperation on several critical fronts:

• Deeper collaboration with respect to security and intelligence, including through Five Eyes, to better combat current and future threats to democracy and our collective security and economic interests, including from foreign interference, economic coercion, disinformation and cyber attacks;
• Build on existing defence relationships, specifically in science and technology collaboration, cold weather operating in the High North, military space capability, Indo Pacific security and green/sustainability initiatives. The UK's polar research vessel HMS Protector will visit Canada in the summer.
• Reinforcing strategic cooperation in our world-leading capacity in science, technology and innovation including fields such as AI, quantum, bio-manufacturing, clean energy sources, telecoms, arctic and polar research and food production;
• Negotiating a new, ambitious, progressive free trade agreement between Canada and the UK and working with the UK to successfully complete its accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
• Affirming that swift and ambitious action on climate change is essential, including the action necessary to reach Net Zero, and helping the world adapt to those consequences of climate change that cannot be avoided, especially cognisant of the impacts of climate change in the Arctic. This includes joint work to expand global adoption of effective emissions reductions policies, increase international climate finance commitments, support coal phase-out, mobilise private finance, promote Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) and reforestation, and support energy transition in third countries. Carbon pricing is a crucial tool to reduce emissions and drive clean innovation, including through adopting robust domestic carbon pricing policies and engaging international partners to share expertise.
• Establish a new UK-Canada Travel Health Dialogue to explore the scope for bilateral cooperation to underpin greater international consistency on border and travel measures, and on how countries use global travel health policies in their responses to further variants and global health challenges.

“We are committed to democracy, freedom and human rights. Our countries are both stronger when we work together towards our shared objectives and in support of our shared values. We commit to bringing our united strength to bear against Russian aggression and in support of Ukraine.”

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